Southwest Airlines: Monday flight cancellations up to 128 in Phoenix, Chicago and more

The Federal Aviation Administration says within two weeks it plans to issue an order for airlines to inspect engines like those on a Southwest Airlines plane forced to land Tuesday due to an engine failure that left a passenger dead. (April 20)
AP

This photo from a Twitter post by Joe Marcus (@joeasaprap) on April 17, 2018 shows the damaged engine on the Southwest Airlines flight 1380 airplane with a caption reading: "What a flight! Made it!! Still here!! #southwest #flight1380" (Photo: JOE MARCUS)

Southwest Airlines travelers across the country face more cancellations and flight delays as the work week begins.

The airline has canceled 128 flights for Monday, accounting for the majority of U.S. flight cancellations, according to flight tracker FlightAware. That is on top of nearly 50 Southwest flights canceled Sunday. Additional cancellations are possible. The number of Southwest cancellations for Monday stood at 91 late Sunday and increased to 128 by Monday morning.

The airline has cancelled 29 flights to and from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Monday, according to FlightAware. The airport is one of Southwest's busiest operations, with more than 180 daily non-stop departures.

The Phoenix cancellations are the second highest number of Southwest flight disruptions for Monday. Chicago Midway, where Southwest has an even bigger operation, has the most, with 35, according to FlightAware.

Dallas Love Field, where the airline is based, is third, with 25 cancellations on Monday.

In a statement, Southwest reiterated that it warned travelers last week that flight disruptions were possible as it began an accelerated engine inspection program following an April 17 midair engine explosion that killed a passenger. The airline said then that it planned to inspect all engine fan blades made by manufacturer CFM within 30 days.

Southwest said it's "significant to note" that the number of flight cancellations and delays is minimal, given Southwest's 4,000 daily scheduled flights. The cancellations represent about 1 percent of its flight operations.

"We will continue our work to minimize flight disruptions by performing inspections overnight while aircraft are not flying, and utilizing spare aircraft, when available,'' the airline said in a statement to the Arizona Republic. "Customers on affected flights will be notified of any changes to their travel plans through proactive updates. As always, customers are encouraged to check their flight status on Southwest.com.''

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A National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 that made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that set off a terrifying chain of events and left a businesswoman hanging half outside a shattered window showed evidence of "metal fatigue," according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD VIA AP

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator photographs a piece of debris from Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 that landed in a Penn Township, Berks County field after a fatal engine mishap, April 18, 2018.
BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE VIA AP

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator photographs a piece of debris from Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 that landed in a Penn Township, Berks County field after a fatal engine mishap, April 18, 2018.
BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE VIA AP

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 that made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that set off a terrifying chain of events and left a businesswoman hanging half outside a shattered window showed evidence of "metal fatigue," according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD VIA AP

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 that made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that set off a terrifying chain of events and left a businesswoman hanging half outside a shattered window showed evidence of "metal fatigue," according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD VIA AP

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 that made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that set off a terrifying chain of events and left a businesswoman hanging half outside a shattered window showed evidence of "metal fatigue," according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD VIA AP

Southwest Airlines plane sits on the runway at the Philadelphia International Airport after it made an emergency landing in Philadelphia, Tuesday, April 17, 2018.
David Maialetti, THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER VIA AP

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 that made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that set off a terrifying chain of events and left a businesswoman hanging half outside a shattered window showed evidence of "metal fatigue," according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD VIA AP

A handout photo made available by Instagram user ABOURMAN showds the damaged engine of Southwest Airlines flight 1380 which was en route from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Love Field in Dallas, Texas when it exploded in flight sending shrapnel into the fuselage, April, 17, 2018.
AMANDA BOURMAN via INSTAGRAM/EPA-EFE

This photo from a Twitter post by Joe Marcus (@joeasaprap) on April 17, 2018 shows the damaged engine on the Southwest Airlines flight 1380 airplane with a caption reading: "What a flight! Made it!! Still here!! #southwest #flight1380"
JOE MARCUS